Applications closing for current wage subsidy, opening soon for new subsidy

Applications for the initial two-week Wage Subsidy August 2021, which opened on 20 August 2021, have now closed. Applications for a second round of Wage Subsidy - to be known as Wage Subsidy August 2021 #2 - open at 9.00am on Friday 3 September.

The COVID-19 Wage Subsidy is to support employers and self-employed people throughout New Zealand, so they can continue to pay employees and protect jobs for businesses affected at Alert Levels 3 and 4.

All applications received will be processed

This includes any that may have been delayed as we try to match the information in applications with the information held by Inland Revenue.

Second round of wage subsidy to open Friday 3 September

The Government has approved another wage subsidy. Applications for Wage Subsidy August 2021 #2 will open at 9.00am on Friday 3 September. This is for all businesses and self-employed people who have or predict at least a 40% decline in their revenue from 31 August to 13 September and meet all the eligibility criteria.

Businesses that applied for the initial Wage Subsidy August 2021 payment and who meet all the eligibility criteria for Wage Subsidy #2, can apply for another wage subsidy payment two weeks after their previous application. So, if someone applied on 23 August, they could apply for Wage Subsidy #2 on 6 September. Early applications can't be accepted as each payment is for two weeks.

We will email these businesses to let them know when they can apply for the new Wage Subsidy #2.

Businesses that didn't apply for the initial wage subsidy are welcome to apply for Wage Subsidy #2 from 3 September providing they meet all the eligibility criteria.

To ensure payments are processed as quickly as possible, it's very important the information provided in the application matches that held by Inland Revenue. If the information doesn't match, it may delay the processing of an application.